Car unloading device



Aug 27, 1946-' s. P. KIN-NEY ET AL I 2,406,546 l CAR UNLOADING DEVICE 4 Filed Jan. 5, 1944- 7 sheets-sheet 1 Aug. 27, 1946.

S. P. KINNEY ET AL CAR UNLOADINQ DEVICE' Filed Jan. 5, 1944 Y Sheets-Sheet 2 lNvr-:NroRsl I Selva/nef Kinney $13.34. HaTWiCk 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Jan. 5, 1944 INVENTORS 26B Kirmey Louis M Hartw Aug 27, 1945 s. P. KlNNl-:Y ET AL CAR UNLOADING DEVICE Filed Jan. '5, 1944 7 sheets-sheet 5 INVENTORS Se ZwynePJfinney Louis MHarzwz'ck Aug- 27, 1946- s. P. KINNEY ET AL CAR uNLoAmNG DEVICE 7 sheets-sheet e i Filed Jan. 5, 1 944 I lNvE-ron: ,Se Zugm el). Kinn ey Louis i MHartWidc Patented Aug. 27, 1946 CAR UNLOADING DEVICE Selwyne P. Kinney, Grafton, and Louis M. Hartwick,'Beaver, Pa., assignors, by mesne assignments, to S. P. Kinney Engineers, Inc., 'Pittsburgh,Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application January 5, 1944, Serial No. 517,040 v 9 Claims. 1

This invention pertains to a car unloadingdevice and is for an apparatus for the unloadingr of bulk material from hopper cars or like containers. It has been especially developed for the unloading of iron ore from hopper cars, and it will be hereinafter described in that connection, but it may be likewise used for the unloading of other materials Where similar conditions are encountered.

Iron ore is usually in a iinely divided condition. It tends to pack -into a very dense mass, and this packing is aggravated in the long hauling of the ore in a railroad car from the place Where it is loaded to the place where it is to be unloaded. The packing is also aggravated by 'f1 the presence of moisture, and this is especially so in cold weather when the moisture freezes.

As a result of this packing and the extreme reluctance of the material to flow, it is diilicult to discharge it from the hopper cars in which it is shipped. The present methods require the services of a crew of laborers who haveto get into the car and work with picks and crowbars to dislodge the ore. This is not onlyvery hard work, and disagreeable work, but consumes considerable time and is expensive.

The present invention provides an implementv carried from an overhead crane which may be manipulated to all the necessary angles and conditions in the car to accomplish the unloading of the ore or other material. The unloading 0peration can. with the use o-f this mechanism, be substantially entirely performed by one operator, conserving Vboth man power and time.

According to the present invention, there is provided along the trackway where the car is to be unloaded, which is usually anl elevated trackway or trestle, an overhead crane, lthe runway for which is parallel with the tracks along which the car moves. 'Movable back and'forth on the traveling crane is a trolley or carriage. This trolley or carriage supports a ram or like implement, and mechanism on the carriage is provided for moving the ram up and down, i. e., longitudinally of its axis. Other mechanism is provided for swinging the implement in a direction fore and aft of the car from a vertical position. Thus the implement can be operated vertically or inclined in either a fore or ait direction. It may be elevated and rammed down into the material in the car. By movement of the trolley crosswise of the track, the'implement can be moved transversely across the full width of the car. Thus the body of material in the car can be attacked from all necessary angles and at all l a i positions in the car. Additionally, the ram. de-

vice is preferably providedfwith a rotatable working end with mechanism for rotating vthe workling end so as to drill or dig down into thematerial in the car. Moreover, the present invention contemplates that the implement in the Working end may from time to time be changed according to the material in the car.

The implement is under the control 'of an'operator, positioned ina cage on the crane. 'Thus the operator can move the crane and manipulate the unloading device and because of his elevated vantage point, is enabled to see and plan the operation of the implement.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate one embodiment of my invention,

Figure 1 is an end View showing more orless schematically the trackway, the position of the car to be unloaded, the runway for the crane, and the unloading device depending from the trolley of the crane. The implement is shown in a position where it is projected Well down into the car;

Figure 2 is a top shown in Figure 1; Y

Figure 3 is a side elevation, the View being at right angles to Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a detail view similar to Figure l, showing a lesser portion of the crane and showing in dotted lines the retracted position of the implement where it is clear of the car;

Figure 5 is a detail View showing the drive through which the axial movement is imparted to the implement and also showing a portion of the implement through which the tilting ofthe implement is effected, the view being a transverse plane of line 5-5 of Figure 6;

Figure 6 is a longitudinal section on a larger scale of the implement showing a portion of the gearing through which the implement is raised plan view of the arrangement and lowered, and also showing the gearingy through which the tilting is accomplished, the View also sho-wing the drive by means of which the operating element at the end of the implement may be rotated;

Figure 'l is a vertical transverse section at right angles to Figure 6, the view being in the plane of line l--l of Figure 5;

Figure 8 is a fragmentary view showing the rack and pinion drive for extending and retracting the implement;

Figurev 9 is a fragmentary View of the lower end ofthe unloading device showing the use of an air hammer at the end of the ram in lieu of the spiral tool shown, for example, in Figure 6;

Y' tool shown in Figures 6 and 9;

flange forming a socket 33.

Figure 1l is a side elevation of a-space-like digging tool which can be substituted in lieu of the Figure 12 is an elevation of Va modied form of ram;

" Figure 1:3 is a longitudinalsection through the ram of Figure 12. Figure 14 is a transverse section in the plane of line XIV-XIV of Figure 12;

Figure 15 is a transverse section similar to Fig- 1 .ure 5, showing the drive-for themodied formfof Tam.

along which the car diagrammatically indicated at C travels. Normally, this trackway is elevated, r is aV trestle, `so that the material which is unf loadedcan fall to a receiving space below. *Ac-v cording 'to the present invention, there lis propending operators cab 8. The cross members 1 provide a runway for aitrolley 9. f Suspended from the trolley is a structura In the drawings, 2 designates a railroad track,

View at right angles to Cil reduced extension I2a on which is a sleeve 38,

frame llsee' Figure l) having bearings II thereon, which bearings, as shown in Figure 7, provide supports for trunnions I2and I2. Trunnion I2 is provided with a plate I,3,and trunnion I2' is carried onV a plate I3. These two plates are of the shape shown in Figure 6 and they are joined together by a transverse member I3a (see Figure 6), and by a housing structure I3b. The plates I 3 and I 3' are provided with two pins I4, on'which are flanged rollers l5. The anged rollers I5 provide guides forv a reciprocable ram I1, which ramiis of tubular construction of squared cross section, 'as best shown in Figure 5, and which is assembled from two channels I1' turned toward each other and connected by plates I1a land I1b.

- v The plate I1b opposite therollers I5 is provided longitudinally yextending shaft 24 concentrically positioned in the tube I1 is engaged in the bear-v 60 is a gear\25 which meshes with a smaller pinion ings 2| andi23. At the upper end of the shaft 24 V2Ii, which pinion is on a studshaft 21 and is coupled with a larger pinion`28 which, in turn, is engaged by pinion 29 on the end of the shaft 39 of va driving motor 31|. Operation of the driving motor 3| serves to rotate the shaft 2 4, the

train of gearing constituting a reducing'gear. The lower end of the shaft 24, where it passes through the bearing 2|, is provided with a sleeve 32, which sleeve has a downwardly extending The walls of this socket are provided with key slots so thatby means of a removable transverse key 34, the

can'be attached to the lower end of the rotatable Y is also a reversible motor.

shank 35 of an appropriate tool or implement 3 6 j shaft 24. In Figure 6, the tool 36 is illustrated as comprising an auger-like implement. To disconnect the implement 36 and substitute another tool, it is merely necessary'to remove thedrive key 34.V

The pinion 29 is keyed to the,y shaft I9. As shown in Figure 8, the outer end of the shaft I9 is provided with a gear 31. The trunnion I2 has a which sleeve is provided with aV gear 39 that meshes with the pinion 31. The sleeve'38 is also provided with a sprocket wheel 40, The sprocket wheel 4I), as best showninFigures 2 and 4, is engaged by a chain 4I, which chain also passes around a sprocket .wheel 42 on the end of the shaft ofA driving motor 43, which motor is hung in a frame44 -on the trolley of the crane. The

motor 43 is a reversible motor, and by driving it in one direction or the other, motion is transmitted. to the gear wheel 2e 'that engages the rack ontheram I1 Yfo;` moving'the rack in `one direction longitudinally, or the other.y

It will be notedthat because the plates I3 and I3' which carry the ram are supported on trunnions, that the ram can swing the directionfore and aft of the car C away from a vertical position. As shown in Figures 3 andfl, the ram can swing to a position 45 more or less each side of vertical. -Because of the fact that the sprocket 39 is concentric about the'axis on which the ram swings and the gear 31 is in the relation of a blanket to the gear 39 associated with the sprocket, it is possible to have the driving motor, which is preferably a motor capable of developing considerable power, xed on the trolley, notwithstanding the fact that the ram itself can swing to dilferent angular positions. In other words,

the arrangement of the gear which has been .de-

scribed enables the motor for moving the rack back and forth, to be in a fixed location whilethe ram itself is capable of swinging in an'arc.

As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the plate I3a which connects the two segment shaped plates I3 and I 3' is provided with an arcuate rack 45,' This rack is engaged by a pinion 4B on a shaft 41. As shown in Figure 3, the` shaft 41 is hung from a bracket `48 on the trolley, and it'is provided with a sprocket wheel 49. A sprocket chain 50, passingv around the wheel 49, also passes around sprocket wheel 5I on a shaft 52 mounted on a depending part of the trolley frame. Shaft 52 in turn is provided with a second sprocket wheel '53 of larger diameter, around which passes a sprocket chain 54 that engages also a sprocket gear 55 on the shaftof the driving motor 56. The driving motor 56 is also fixed on the trolley frame andit By driving it in one direction or the other, the pinion 4B can be turned in one direction or the other to move the rack 45 up orldown, and thereby tilt or rock the ram one direction or the other from a vertical position. With the parts in the position shown in Figure 6, the ram is vertical, and the gear 4B is engaged in thefcentral point of the arcuate rack 45.

Thus it will be seen that the motor which serves to tilt the ram, as well as the motor which serves to move the ram up and down, is in a Xed position on the trolley frame. The only motor which is movableV with the ramV is the motor 3l that serves to rotate the tool at the lower end of the ram.

In the operationiof the unloading device, the` car C is brought to the position on the track the dotted line position shown in Figure 4. The

the crane has been moVed into the ldesired posik tion and the doors on the hopper Acar have been opened, the motor 3| may be set and the ram may be driven at slow or high speed, as conditions may dictate, and as the operator may determine upon, into the ore in the car, It will serve to push the ore out of the car and to drill through the ore, loosening it up. It can be projected into the ore at various angles and by moving the trolley back and forth on the carriage of the train, it can work at orat'any other placeacross the full width of the car. After it unloads the ore at one end of the car, the crane can be moved along to work upon the ore at the other end or at any intermediate position, and the slope at which the ram works can be constantly varied. -A skillful operator can quickly learn to shift the ram and manipulate the crane to good advantage t rapidly unloadthe car. The ram may be moved with considerable rapidity in order to strike a moved slowly, this all being under control of the motor 43.

In many instances, it may be desirable, in place of using an auger-like bit on the end of the ram to use a spade or a chisel-like -bit such asshown in Figures 3 and l1. In these views, the bit is designated 36. It can be substituted for the bit 36, as previously indicated, merely by removing the drive key 34; Also, particularly when the ore is frozen, it may be desirable to use a pneumatic hammer on the lower end of the ram. This is illustrated in Figure 9 where the pneumatic `hammer 50 is provided at its upper end with an adapter 6l having a portion 62 that ts in the socket 33 and is engaged by the drive key 34. The lower end of the air hammer may have a suitable bit 53. The bit 53, forced by the air hammer, may be forced down into the ore under heavy pressure by the hammer, and at the same time the air hammer 3| may be driven to slowly turn the entire air hammer to course the slope of the ram may bechanged from time to time, as required. It should be noted in connection with `Figure l that the crane is provided with keeper elements that engage under the top flanges of the I-beam rails 4. These are for the purpose of preventing the crane carriage from lifting off the rails when the ram encounters considerable resistance.

Usually there is a string of several cars to be unloaded and after one car has been finished, the crane can move to the next. It is also contemplated that the operator, by astute use of the ram, along the tracki may actually move an empty car way, should this be necessary. It will be noted from Figure 2 that the cage is located forwardly of the carriage as well as being at one side of the carriage, The purpose of this is to enable the trolley which carries the ram to move clear over to one side of the carriage of the crane where it will be in line with the operators cage, and where it will be entirely out of the way `of any locomotive that has to pass under the crane in the operation of bringing cars into place, or removing them.

The unloading device as herein described, provides a powerful and effective means for unloading material such as ore. As above indicated, it can operate at various angles from a vertical position in a fore and aft direction, and it can .into operation the middle of the car Y blow, or it may be diiferent positions, and of one of them is on to clog with ore or like construction.

be moved back and forth `crosswise of thecar, as well as back and forth lengthwise vofthe car. rlhe construction of the ram issuch as to withstand abusive use, and considerable advantage is ygained' from the fact that of the three motors used'for manipulating the ram and turning the bit, ronly the ram itself. The Aarrangement whereby the motor 43 Vcan be at a fixed location on the trolley while the pinion which it drives to Yengage the rack can move about -in' various positions, is particularly advantageous.

In some cases,the teeth of the rack may tend other material being vworked upon. To avoid this, and assure of the smooth operation of the ram, the modication shown' in Figures 12 to 15 may be employed. y 1 f= i In this modification, the bodyy f the ram comprises a metal tube l with corner angles 11i welded thereto and extending therealong throughout substantially the entire length thereof, these angles being positioned 90 apart. (See Figure 1li.)` Secured to'two-of these angles 15 are angularrails 11 having a base flange 11a and an upstanding rib or flange-11b. Equally spaced round bars or rungs through the flanges 11b provide arack of ladders `'I'he ram is mounted, guided, and operatediin a manner generally similar to Figure 5, except that two sprocket wheels 19 on a shaft 80 engage the rungs or rounds of has rollers 8! thereon which roll on the flanges 11a of the bars 11 to take the thrust, so -that the sprocket wheels work freely and withouttransverse thrust on the ladder-like rack, Shaft corresponds otherwise to shaft I9 of Figure 5and the other parts are substantially the same.

Any material that packs in the rack may be dislodged and fall out of the rack or escape between the two sprocket wheels 19, uso that this mechanism is substantially self-cleaning.

It will be understood that my invention provides various other features of novelty which have not been herein specifically mentioned, and'that the drawings illustrate one embodiment of'my invention, but that the inventions maybe otherwise embodied and that various changes and modifications may be made within the construction ofmy invention and under the scope of the following claims.

We claim:

1. A car unloader comprising an overhead trackway and a traveling crane, structure movable along the trackvvayV in a direction n parallel with the longitudinal axis of thecar-to lbe unloaded, a trolley on the` traveling crane structure movable crossways thereo'ffandV a ram on the trolley movable'in an axial direction, means for so moving the ram, and means for swinging the ram in an .are generally lengthwiseof the car, the ram being carried in a rocking frame hung from the trolley, said means foroperating the ram comprising a gear on the frame, ythe axis of rotation of which coincides with the axis about 15 of heavy wall thickness 18 passing the rack. The shaft 4also trackway in a direction parallel Y lrotation of 'which ,ramf'compr ra trolleyV` on the crane 7 v generally lengthwise of the car', carried in arookingframe hung said means for .operating the gear onthe Vframe, .the axis of coincides Vwith the axis about whichthe ram'fpivots, a pinion driven by said gear, there being Ya whichlthe pinion engages, said rack comprising a ladderlikev series ofY spaced Vrungs on the ram, the:v pinion having `sprocket teethk tor mesh with saidrungsx: f l 1Q 3; A"carf:unloader comprising an overhead ram. in z an arc the" ram :being from the trolley, ram comprisinga rackelement on the raml with trackway'and a'traveling crane structure movableialong the trackway in a direction parallel withft'he longitudinal axis of the car to be unloaded, a trolley on the'traveling crane structure movable? crossways-thereof,1and a ram onrthe trolleyrnovablein an axial direction, means for so 'movingv ther ramfand means for swinging the ram `in an arc Vgenerallylengthwise of the car, the ram/fbeingf .carried inai rocking frame `hung from the trolley,said means' for operating the ram comprising afgearon the frame, the axis of rotation of'which coincides with' the axisabout Av vhichtthe' ram pivots, aA pinion driven by said gear, there being a-ra'ck element `on theram withwhich the pinion engages, said rack 'comprising-fa'fladder-likeseries of" spaced rungs on tlieram?! the @pinion having sprocket'teeth to meshVV with said runlgs', "said `pinion "comprising spaced teeth with sprocket teeth thereonthat engagetherung's, A* -1` Y r '4.'1Inl a car Yunloader of the class described, a

y*in'ga'"trubunlz'tr, body having longitudinally extendingangle bars secured thereto at 90Y-intervals thereabout withV the vapexes oflthe angles turned outwardly, two of said angle bars havingY ribs thereon, there being spaced rungs forming av ladder-like rack carried by the ribs,` a

frame structurethrough which the ram passes, a pinionand rollerelement in the structure engagingsaid rack, a shaft for the' pinion vand roller' velement, means constituting trunnions for thefrarne structure; a roller in the structure opposite the pinion engaging barson the ram opposite those which carry the rack, a trolley in which said trunnions `are supported, means for tilting said structure, and means for driving said shaftincluding a gear, the axis of .which coincides with the axis of the trunnions.V f I f' 5.,Car unloading apparatus of the classldescribed comprising atraveling crane structure movav lelongitudinally ofthe carto be unloaded, movable transverselyof the cargfa frame on the trolleyipivotally supported to rockin a plane parallel with the direc-y tion of travel of thecrane, motor means for rocking the frame, a ram with a diggerthereon and means for moving the a trolleyv scribed comprising a' traveling crane 'structure' movable' longitudinally of the car to be unloaded, a trolley on the Vcrane movable transversely of the car, va frame on the trolley pivotally supported to rock in a plane parallel with the direction of travel of .the crane, motor means for rocking thev frame, a ram carried by the frame, means for moving the ram'in an axial direction, an adapter on the lower end ofthe ram, and a digger releasably held in the adapter, said digger including an air hammer. n t l f 7; A` car unloader of the'class described comprising a ram having a .digging tool on the lower end thereof, means'from pended .and in which the-ram isV axially movable but fixed against wrotation, ysaid means being movable longitudinally of `the car-:to be unloaded yand alsotransversely thereof, means for positively drving'the-ram. up and down' with reference to the means from which it is suspended,and lseparate power driven means for forcefully swinging the ram in an arc ina direction fore and aft ofthe car for shoveling the contents thereof either simultaneously with or separately from said ypositively driven scribed' comprising V"a, traveling Vcran'estructure movable longitudinally'of the `carto be unloaded, on` the crane"movable transversely of thefcar, "a frame `on'the trolley pivotallys'up-k Vported on the trolley to rock Aon an axis transe verse to the direction of Vtravel of the trolley whereby'the frame may swing in the direction ofthe longitudinal axis of thecar, motor-driven means andgearing for rocking the frame vin an arc fore and aft of the car for shoveling the con` tents thereof, an agitator movable axially in the frame andV comprising an elongated rigid ram 40 element, and other reversible power driven means for operating the agitator'to frame' either" simultaneously from said rocking movement of saidframe.

'-9. Car unloading apparatus ofthe fclass described comprising a traveling' crane'structure Ymovable longitudinally of the car to be unloaded, a trolley on the'crane 'movable transverselyiof the car, a frame on the trolley pivotally'supported to rock in a plane parallel with the direcmotorY means and tion of.'V travel of Vthe crane, gearing for rocking the frame, a ram carried by the frame, reversible power-driven means for positivelyzmoving the ram in an axial direction either--up'or down, whereby the ram may be simultaneously reciprocated and swung in an arc to simultaneously penetratethe material to be unloaded and shovey such nally, an adapter on the lower end of the ram, and a digger'releasably held in the adapter.

SELWYNE P. KINNLY(V @Louis M. HARTWICK.

whichY the ram, is susram driving member. f Y 8. Car unloading apparatus of the class demove axially'in ther kwith or separately material longitudi- 

